Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Buckinghamshire Council
Walton Street Offices
Aylesbury
HP20 1UA
Contact
Mrs Ann Spence
ann.spence@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKJ13 - Buckinghamshire CC
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/
Buyer's address
https://www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk/
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk/
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk/
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Tender for the Provision of Shared Lives Services in Buckinghamshire
Reference number
DN751329
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to contract with an innovative Provider to deliver and expand the Shared Lives Service in Buckinghamshire. The Provider will take over the existing service and work with the Council to realise it’s growth ambitions to significantly increase the number of Live-In, Short Break and Day Support Arrangements available for Individuals over the next 5 -7 years. The Provider will implement a successful marketing strategy to recruit and train a pool of self-employed Carers who are able to deliver care and support services to Individuals with a wide range of social care and health needs who require varying intensities of support. The Provider should be able to demonstrate experience of managing a Shared Lives, supported lodgings or fostering service as well as strong partnership working with a Local Authority, particularly around service expansion. The Provider will aim to make Shared Lives the ‘ first choice’ for Social Care Workers, Individuals and their Families in Buckinghamshire when considering types of care and support for an Individual.
What is Shared Lives
Shared Lives enable Individuals, with assessed eligible social care and health needs, the opportunity to live and/ or to be supported in the households of carefully selected, trained and approved Carers. Together, the person needing support, and the Carer, share the Carer’s domestic, family and community life. The individuals will be supported and enabled by the Carer to achieve and maintain as much independence as possible and to live meaningful and fulfilling lives in line with their individual choices and ambitions. The Service supports a range of Individuals with varying levels of needs across a range of care cohorts including, but not limited to older people, people with mental health needs including dementia, those with a physical disability or sensory impairment, learning disabilities, autism, neurodivergences, care leavers, people recovering from addictions and people fleeing domestic violence.
The Council requires the delivery of the following types of Shared Lives services:
• Live-in: an Individual with support needs lives with a Carer and their family (this is sometimes referred to as “long term”).
• Short Break: an Individual stays with their chosen Carer on a regular basis, from one night to several weeks.
• Day Support: an Individual receives support from their Carer during the day. The Carer’s home is used as a base for community activities.
Contractual Conditions:
The Provider must be registered with the CQC for the regulated activity of personal care.
The Provider will maintain an annual membership to Shared Lives Plus for the Service and each Carer.
The contract is for 5 years with a 2-year extension option. The start date of the contract will be 1st October 2025.
TUPE may apply to this contract.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85300000 - Social work and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ13 - Buckinghamshire CC
Main site or place of performance
Buckinghamshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to contract with an innovative Provider to deliver and expand the Shared Lives Service in Buckinghamshire. The Provider will take over the existing service and work with the Council to realise it’s growth ambitions to significantly increase the number of Live-In, Short Break and Day Support Arrangements available for Individuals over the next 5 -7 years. The Provider will implement a successful marketing strategy to recruit and train a pool of self-employed Carers who are able to deliver care and support services to Individuals with a wide range of social care and health needs who require varying intensities of support. The Provider should be able to demonstrate experience of managing a Shared Lives, supported lodgings or fostering service as well as strong partnership working with a Local Authority, particularly around service expansion. The Provider will aim to make Shared Lives the ‘ first choice’ for Social Care Workers, Individuals and their Families in Buckinghamshire when considering types of care and support for an Individual.
What is Shared Lives
Shared Lives enable Individuals, with assessed eligible social care and health needs, the opportunity to live and/ or to be supported in the households of carefully selected, trained and approved Carers. Together, the person needing support, and the Carer, share the Carer’s domestic, family and community life. The individuals will be supported and enabled by the Carer to achieve and maintain as much independence as possible and to live meaningful and fulfilling lives in line with their individual choices and ambitions. The Service supports a range of Individuals with varying levels of needs across a range of care cohorts including, but not limited to older people, people with mental health needs including dementia, those with a physical disability or sensory impairment, learning disabilities, autism, neurodivergences, care leavers, people recovering from addictions and people fleeing domestic violence.
The Council requires the delivery of the following types of Shared Lives services:
• Live-in: an Individual with support needs lives with a Carer and their family (this is sometimes referred to as “long term”).
• Short Break: an Individual stays with their chosen Carer on a regular basis, from one night to several weeks.
• Day Support: an Individual receives support from their Carer during the day. The Carer’s home is used as a base for community activities.
Contractual Conditions:
The Provider must be registered with the CQC for the regulated activity of personal care.
The Provider will maintain an annual membership to Shared Lives Plus for the Service and each Carer.
The contract is for 5 years with a 2-year extension option. The start date of the contract will be 1st October 2025.
TUPE may apply to this contract.
two.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: £10,538,000
two.2.7) Duration of the contract or the framework agreement
Duration in months
60
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.4) Objective rules and criteria for participation
List and brief description of rules and criteria
All criteria are stated in the procurement documents accessed via
www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
All criteria are stated in the procurement documents accessed via
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Form of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.11) Main features of the award procedure
Award criteria are stated in the procurement documents accessed via
www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
16 April 2025
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
Section six. Complementary information
six.3) Additional information
1. The Council is conducting the procurement under Section 7 Regulations 74-76 Social and other Specific Services under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015). An open procedure is being used.
This tender aim is to provide the full tender documentation suite by the 7th March on the Council's portal www.supplybucksbusiness.org.uk.
Please note that this will allow bidders at least 30 days to review, ask clarification questions and submit their bids timely by the bid submission deadline of 16th April 2025.
If there are any further delays in making the full tender documentation available we will in due course delay the bid submission deadline accordingly to ensure that bidders have at least 30 days to allow them to review, ask clarifications and submit their bids.
2. There is an option to extend the contract for a period of 24 months after the initial 5 year term.
3. The estimated value in II.2.6 is for the 7 year period i.e. initial term of 5 years
and 2 year extension option.
4. The estimated value in II.2.6 does not include inflation.
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
The High Court
The Royal Courts of Justice
London
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
The Council will incorporate a standstill period at the point when information on the award of
the contract is communicated to tenderers. The standstill period will be for a minimum of 10
calendar days and provides time for unsuccessful tenderers to challenge the award decision
before the contract is entered into. The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 provide for the
aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to
take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland).